Support for staff and students

Following the EU Referendum result announced on 24 June 2016, Imperial’s President and Provost underlined the College’s European and global links. Imperial’s community includes 2,800 students and over 2,000 staff from non-UK countries in the European Union. Over the last decade, Imperial academics have produced more than 60,000 research papers in collaboration with peers from other European countries.

There are no immediate changes following the UK vote to withdraw from the EU. The rights of employees from the EU remain as at present and there are currently no changes to the fee status of EU students or the funding of existing EU research projects.

Updates will be posted on this page, and the College will also contact directly members of the community who may be affected. Please be aware policy proposals will be published from both sides which may change significantly as a result of the negotiating process. We will indicate in the updates below as and when specific points are agreed and provide appropriate guidance.

If you have questions about the impact of the referendum outcome on your work or studies at Imperial, please consult the FAQs section or the support for EU staff page in the first instance. If you have further questions, the contact points are as follows:

2018

Tuesday 24 July 2018: The government announced an extension of the underwrite for EU-funded projects until 2020, including in a no deal scenario. This means that all EU-funded projects, including Horizon 2020 and Structural Funds, secured by UK organisations in this EU budget period (2014-2020) will be fully funded, regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

Thursday 12 July 2018: The Government has published its White Paper setting out plans for the UK's future relationship with the European Union. It is subject to further negotiations on the final Brexit deal. The paper proposes a ‘mobility framework’ to allow UK and EU citizens to travel to each other's territories, to study and to work. It also proposes that the UK seeks access to education (Erasmus+), research (Horizon 2020), EURATOM and space programmes (including Galileo and Copernicus) as well as ITER and European research infrastructure activities. The UK is also seeking suitable representation at strategic fora and committees, and is urging continued mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

Monday 2 July: The government has confirmed that students from the European Union starting courses in England in the 2019/20 academic year will continue to be eligible for ‘home fee status’, which means they will be charged the same tuition fees as UK students for the duration of their courses. They will also be able to access financial support on the same basis as is available today. The maximum tuition fees for full-time undergraduate courses in 2018/19 are £9,250.

Tuesday 6 March: The government has published a Q&A document following confirmation the UK will be eligible for Horizon 2020 participation for the duration of the programme, and encouraging participation and applications. It also offers assurances about the UK’s commitment to underwrite funding and answers questions regarding participation.

Wednesday 28 February: The UK Government has set out proposed arrangements for EU citizens arriving in Britain during the Brexit implementation period – a period of around two years after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. This includes the proposal that EU citizens who arrive during this post-Brexit period can register if they wish to stay in the UK for longer than three months. There are some key differences in the proposals to the citizens’ rights agreement that covers EU migrants living in the UK before March 2019. They are set out in the Government guidance.

2017

Thursday 21 December 2017: The Home Office has confirmed that EU citizens resident in the UK will be able to apply for settled status through a “transparent, smooth and streamlined process” from the “second half of 2018”. This application process will remain open for at least two years after the UK leaves the EU.

Friday 8 December 2017: The UK and the EU struck a deal in the first phase of the Brexit negotiations. This included agreement that EU citizens in the UK on the day of Brexit (29 March 2019) and UK citizens in the EU have the right to stay – as do their children, and partners in existing “durable relationships”.

The UK will continue to participate in EU programmes such as Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ for their entire duration. The UK may be able to participate as a non-Member State in future programmes.

Thursday 19 October 2017: The Prime Minister wrote an open letter to all EU citizens in the UK to give further detail on the new “settled status” for EU citizens resident in the UK post-Brexit.

College leadership continues to work with key stakeholders in all sectors, including government leaders at all levels, to make the case for the rights of EU colleagues.Tuesday 17 October 2017: Universities Minister Jo Johnson has said the government is keeping under very careful review the question of whether the underwriting of Horizon 2020 grants may continue beyond the Brexit transition period. He made the comments during an evidence session held by the Commons Science and Technology Committee.

Monday 26 June 2017: The UK Government published proposals on the rights and status of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU after Brexit. The policy paper proposes the creation of a new ‘settled status’ for EU citizens who arrive before a cut-off date, which will be agreed as part of negotiations with the EU. Applicants who already have five years’ continuous residence in the UK would be immediately eligible for settled status. Those who arrived before the specified date but do not yet meet the five year threshold by exit day would be allowed to stay until they reach that milestone and can also secure settled status. Those EU citizens who are granted settled status would be treated like a comparable UK national, entitled to broadly the same rights and benefits. A grace period of up to two years would be in place for all EU citizens, including those who arrive after the cut-off date, allowing them to regularise their status to remain in the country. Please note these are proposals still from the UK government to the EU and will no doubt evolve as negotiations continue.

Friday 23 June 2017: The UK Prime Minister has indicated that EU citizens living in the UK will have the right to settle after Brexit. We expect more detail from the government on this 'right to settle' status on Monday, when we will update our community.

Friday 21 April 2017: The UK government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2018 to 2019 academic year will remain eligible for financial support. The decision means EU students applying for an undergraduate or master’s course at an English university or further education institution in the 2018 to 2019 academic year will continue to have access to student loans and grants and will be charged the same tuition fees as UK students, even if the course concludes after the UK’s exit from the EU. Read the full statement

2016

Thursday 1 December: The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting postgraduate courses in the 2017-18 academic year remain eligible for Research Council studentships on the current basis. Funding will be guaranteed for the duration of their course, even if the UK exits the EU during this time. Read the full statement

Tuesday 11 October: The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting or continuing their studies in the 2017–18 academic year will continue to pay the Home rate of tuition fees for the duration of their course. EU students will also remain eligible for the same government funding support as they are now, including the Tuition Fee Loan. This access to government funding will continue throughout your course, even if the UK exits the EU during this time.

Thursday 15 September: Carlos Moedas, EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, met with Imperial’s senior leadership and researchers from across the College to discuss the future of European collaboration. Find out more

Saturday 13 August: The Treasury has confirmed that the UK Government will underwrite EU research funding like Horizon 2020, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. Universities should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while the UK remains a member of the EU. Read the full statement

Monday 18 July 2016: Imperial provides further information on support for European staff and their families. Find out more

Thursday 14 July 2016: The League of European Research Universities (LERU) issues a statement affirming that UK universities are, and will continue to be, indispensable collaborative partners, and that LERU will do everything it can to support cooperation between universities in the UK and those on the continent. Read the full statement

Monday 11 July 2016: The government confirms in a statement that it fully expects that the legal status of EU nationals living in the UK, and that of UK nationals in EU member states, will be properly protected after the UK leaves the EU. Read the full statement

Wednesday 6 July 2016: Imperial’s President receives a letter from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, confirming his support of London’s higher education sector, and emphasising how much he values the contribution staff and students from other European Union countries make to London. Read the letter ‌

Friday 1 July 2016: Imperial announces new support for European staff and their families - the College will be funding expert legal advice from an immigration specialist.

Thursday 30 June 2016: New Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) published on the College website. Access the FAQs

Thursday 30 June 2016:Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science, gives a speech at the Wellcome Trust. In it he confirms his commitment to make the strongest possible case for higher education, research and innovation in the coming negotiation, and stresses that the UK remains fully open to scientists and researchers from across the EU. Read the speech in full

Tuesday 28 June 2016: Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities and Science, has confirmed that: EU students remain eligible for Master’s loans; there is no change to visa policy for staff, students, visitors, businesses and entrepreneurs; Erasmus+ arrangements remain in place for UK students looking to study in the EU over the next year and for EU students coming to the UK; and UK participants can continue to apply to the Horizon 2020 research programme in the usual way. The full statement can be read here.

Monday 27 June 2016: Student Loans Company (SLC) guarantees student loans for EU students who have already started courses at UK universities and for those starting this Autumn for the duration of their courses. Read the full SLC statement

We expect the Government to confirm shortly that the College can continue to charge Home Fees to current EU undergraduate students and those beginning their studies in 2016 for the duration of their courses.

24 July: The government announced an extension of the underwrite for EU-funded projects until 2020, including in a no deal scenario. This means that all EU-funded projects, including Horizon 2020 and Structural Funds, secured by UK organisations in this EU budget period (2014-2020) will be fully funded, regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.